Al Jones of the West Virginia Department of General Services flushes the water Monday as he opens a rest room on the first floor of the State Capitol in Charleston, W.Va.

Written by

John Bacon
| USA Today

Green is good, red not so much for 300,000 West Virginia residents after state officials announced Monday that the "do not use" order on tap water was being lifted by zones.

West Virginia American Water said it has been flushing the 1,700 miles of pipes affected by Thursday's chemical spill, and that untainted water is beginning to flow in the Charleston area. High-density, high-need areas that include hospitals and nursing homes are getting water first.

"Thank you for your patience!" the water company tweeted Monday. "Finalizing the 'Do Not Use' Lift Process. Will go to media, on website ...